Spark-plug.



A. SCHMIDT.

SPARK PLUG.

V-APPLIGATION FILED MAY 1, 1911.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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STATES PATENT OFFICE. AIIBEBT SCHMIDT, OFFLINT,MIGI1IGAN, ASSIGNOB TO CHAMPION IGNITION 00., F FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SPABKQPLIIG.

. S ecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALBERT SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint, in the county of. Gene'see and State of Michigan, have invented cera simple and eflicient device for the purpose which may be quickly and easily attached to or detached from the spark plug and forms a closure for the upper end of the plug having a lateral lead which may be 2.0 rotated to any desired position, the invention consisting in the 'matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticulafly pointed out in the claims reference being had to the ac companying drawing in which Figure '1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the same; Fig. 3, an end elevation; and Fig.- 4, an enlarged detail showing the construction of a portion of the head.

In the drawing'l represents a suitable metal bushing having an externally screwthreaded lower end to engage ascrewthreaded opening in the engine cylinder and 5 also formed with a hexagonal outer end or head by-ineans of which the bushing may be screwed into the cylinder. The bushing is formed with an axial bore 2 extending therethrough which bore is enlarged in the outer end or head of the bushing, forming a chamber 3' therein which is internally screwthreaded to receive a ring nut 4. Where the bore 2 and chamber 3 meet, an annular seat 5 is formed within the bushing and seated upon this seat is a packing ringor 5Q an annular shoulder to engage and seat upon collar 6 which forms a seat for an insulating plug 7 formed of porcelain or other suitable material, said plug being enlarged at its upper end within the chamber 3 to form the collar 6. The insulatlng plug is formed with an axial bore to receive a wire 8 which projects through the lower end of the plug and forms one electrode of the spark plug.

The. other electrode is formed by a platinum pl g 7 wire 9 secured within a hole in the lower end of the bushing l and. bent at right angles toward the projecting end of the wire 8. The bore of the plug is enlarged at the upper end thereof forming an axial chamber therein to receive a short tubular insulating member 10 which fits therein and extends upward within the ring 4 beyond the upper end of the plug. The plug is securely held seated upon the collar 6 by the engagement of the inner end of t e ring 4 with the upper end of the plug. he bushing 1 and ring nut 4 thus together form a casing for in closing and securely holding the insulating and the tubular insulating member 10. I

A head 11 formed of porcelain, hard rubber, fibrous or other suitable insulating material is provided to close the upper open end. of the casing, said head being formed with a downwardly extending end 12 to fit within the ring 4 and to form an annular shoulder to rest upon the upper end of the ring. The head is also formed with an axial chamber 13 and a bore 14 extending laterally from the upper end of the chamber through a lateral extension or arm 15 on the head. The bore 14 is formed with a very deep internal screw thread 16 formed with *a sharp cutting edge adapted to cut into the insulation 17 upon an electrical conductor or wire 19 and securely hold the end of the'wire within the extension 15 of the head. The wire is thus rigidly secured to the head by simply screwing one end of the same into the extension and maybe readily detached at any time. The inner end of the wire 19 rests against the upper end of the chamber 13 and to make an elec trical connect-ion between said Wire and the wire 8 forming the electrode of the spark plug, a coiled spring 20 is secured at one end to the upper end of the wire 8 with its opposite end in engagement with the wire 19. This spring when the head is in place, is under compression and thus a good electrical connection is insured. The spring also exerts a force upon the upper end of the tubular insulating member 10 to hold the same in place.

The head 11 is detachably secured in place upon the ring nut 4 by means of a yoke 21 having inturned lower ends 22 to engage b eneat-h the hexagonal head or flange 23 of the ring nut 4.. Said head is thus free to proper relation to one what I claim is:

turn upon the ring nut as'the inturned ends I ofthe yokenly-engage the flange and said yoke is carried by and turns with the head when said head is turned to bring the extension to' the desired position. The .yoke is held in place upon the head bymeans of inwardly extending pins 24 engaging vertical slots 25 in the sides of the head. The head is firmly clamped and'yieldingly held by the yoke by means of a spring 26, one end of which spring is integral with the middle of the yoke and extending laterally therefrom, is folded backward upon itself in the form of a loop with the free end of the spring extending beneath the yoke in engagement with the surface of the head. The side of the head opposite the extension 15 is rounded so that the yoke may be turned upon its pivot'pins 24 to disengage the inturned ends 22 from beneath the flange23. The spring loop 26 is bent upwardly to facilitate its sliding over the curved side of the head and also to form a handle by means of which the yoke. may be turned. In'this construction the electrical conductor is rigidly attached to the spark plug and held against all possibility of becoming loosened by vibration and the connection broken. The head may be turned to any desired position and may be quickly and easily detached for the purpose of inspecting the interior of the plug and the connections. The head while serving the purpose of arotatable connection for the electrical conductor, at the same time closes the upper end of the spark plug and efli'ectually protects the interior connections and insulating members.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not limit-myself to the particular form and arrangement of parts shown.

Having thus fully described my invention 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing having an open upper end, an insulating member in said casing, the terminals, and an insulating head fitting and free to turn within the upper end of said casing and adapted to receive and hold one end of an electrical conductor in of the terminals.

2. In a spark plug, the combination with a casing having 'an insulating member within and held by said casing, of an insulating head closing the upper end of the casing and having a lateral opening adapted to. receive and hold the I end of an electrical conductor, and means for detachably holding saidflhead in place head relatively to the casing.

- 3. In a spark plug, the combination with a casing and an insulating member in said casing, of'an insulating head provided with open-upper end and an an opening to receive an electrical conductor and closing the upper end of the casing, and a member pivotallyattached to the head adapted to be turned to detach said head.

4., In a spark plug, the combination with a casing and an insulating member in said casing, of an insulating head provided with an opening to receive an electrical conductor, and a yoke pivotally attached to the head and engaging the casing for detachably holding the head in place.

5. In a spark plug, the combination with a casing and an insulating member in said casing, of an insulating head free to turn upon and closing the upper end of the casing, means on the head for the attachment of an electrical conductor thereto, and a member carried by the head for yieldingly and detachably holding the head in place.

6. In a spark plug, the combination with a casing and an insulating member in said casing, of an insulating head free to turn upon and closing theupper end of the easing and having a lateral extension formed with an internal screwthread, an insulated electrical conductor screwed into said extension, and held therein by the engagement of the screw threads of the extension with its insulation and means for detachably holding said head in place.

7 In a spark plug, the combination with a casing adapted to be secured within an opening in an engine cylinder, ing plug within the casing having an axial bore, an insulating head closing and free to rotate within the outer end of the casing and provided with a lateral opening, an electrical conductor extending into said head through said opening, an intermediate. tubular insulating member within the casing spanning the gap between said plug and head, and an electrical conductor extending through the axial bore of the plug and the tubular member into said head.

8. In a spark plug the combination with a casing adapted to be secured within an opening in an engine cylinder, of an insulating plug within the casing having a chamber in its outer end, an insulating head fitting within and free to turn upon the outer end of the casing and provided with an internal chamber and with a lateral opening to receive an electrical conductor, an insulating member within the chambers of said plug and head and spanning the space between the same, an electrical conductor extending through said plug and insulating member, and means for detachably securing said head to the casing and permitting free turning of said head uponthe casing.

9. In a spark plug, the combination with a casing, casing having an axial chamber in its upper oend, a tub lar insulating member within said chamber. projecting upwardtherefrom,

of an insulating plug within the an insulating head closing the upper end of the casing and having an axial chamber into which said tubular insulating member extends, said head also having alateral opening to receive an electrical conductor, and a spring within said head engaging the tubular lnsulating member to hold the same within its chamber in the insulating plug.

10. In .a spark plug, the combination of a casing, an insulating member within the casing, an insulating head closing the upper end of the casing and formed with a lateral openin to receive an electrical conductor, a yoke p votally attached to the head and extending over the head with its ends detachably connected to the casing to hold the head in place, and a s ring between the yoke and head carried b t e yoke.

11. In a spark p ug, the combination of a casing, an insulating member within the casing, an insulating head having a lateral opening to receive an electrical conductor, a

fiange'at the upper end of the casing, a

yoke ivotally attached to the head at each side t erect and formed with inturned ends to engage beneath the flange, and a spring carried y the yoke. 1

12. In a spark plug, the combination of a casing, an insulating head provided with an opening to receive an electrical conductor, a yoke extending over and pivotally attached to the head to engage the casing and hold the head in lace, and a s ring member comprising a 00p extending aterally from the yoke intermediate its ends with the spring arm of the loop extendin beneath t e yoke in engagement with said cad.

13. In a. spark plu the combination of a casing adapted to e, secured within the spark plug opening of a cylinder, the terminals, an insulatin member within the cas: ing, a cap carrie by the casin and forming a unitary part of the spar plug, said .cap being rotatable in relation to the casin and closing the upper end thereof, an adapted to receive and hold one end of an electrical conductor in proper relation to one of the terminals. 1

14. In a spark plug, the combination of a casing adapted'to be secured within the spark plug 0 ening of a cylinder, the terminals, an 'insu atin member within the casing, a cap carried y the casing and'forming a unitary part of the spark plug, the cap closing the upper end of the casing, and

' adapted to receive and hold one end of an "electrical conductor in one of the terminals, an means for detach- .to said casing.

roper relation to ably holding said ea in place permitting the same to e rotatab y adjusted in relation 7 a casin proo spark'plug o ening of a cylinder, an in? sulating mem er within the casing, a cap carried by the casing and forming a unitary part of the spark plug, and a contact extending through said insulating member, and having a ortion arran ed within the cap and comp etely inclose thereby, said capbeing provided with an integral lateral projection in operative relation to the contact and adapted to receive therewithin a terminal, and a connection between said cap and the casing permitting the cap to be secured to the casing in different positions of rotary adjustment.

17. In a spark plug, the combination with I a casing adapted to be securedwithin the spark plug opening of a cylinder, an insulating mem er within the casing, a cap carried by the casing and forming a unitary part of the spark plug, said ca having a chamber, a contact extending t rough the insulating member having a portion arranged in said chamber and completely inclosed thereby, said cap having a screw threaded openin in operative relation to the chamber, an an insulated terminal extending through said openinglinto operative; relation to the contact, and aving a screw threaded engagement with the o ening.

18. In a spark plug, the com ination of adapted to e secured within the spark p ug opening of a cylinder, an insulatin member within the casin a weathercap on said casing an forming a unitary part of the spark, lug, a contact in said casing completely inc osed by said cap, and the latter being provided with a terminal portion in operative relation to said contact adapted to receive therewithin a terminal, and a connection between the terminal portion and said terminal for securing the atter to the former and forming a weathertight joint therewith.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT SCHMIDT.

Witnesses: I

B. on GUIOHARD, F. J. UTLEY. 

